Radio

One of the pleasures of radio has always been the unexpected. Kind of like pre-Internet blogging, a radio D.J. is ideally someone whose personality you like and whose taste you like even better. That way, when you get the unexpected, it's more likely to be something you'll enjoy.

There's a new (to me, at least) Web-based radio service that I am happy to recommend. It doesn't exactly deliver that same kind of unexpected pleasures described above; it actually is part expected and part unexpected. It's called Pandora.

The way Pandora works is that you enter in the name of a band with the idea that you want to hear some music by that band and some similar music. Then Pandora builds a "radio station" for you.

I don't know all the details behind the music linkage, but assume it emanates from some sort of affinity program, like how your rating of DVDs on Netflicks leads to a surprising auto-appealing suggestion list.

There's some bands Pandora can't play, like the Rolling Stones, although they'll tell you why if you want to click there. However, you'll still get a radio station with a lot of Stones-esque music. And you can always skip a track you can't stand.

As for what they're now calling terrestrial or free radio, everyone in Los Angeles knows the best D.J. currently broadcasting is Steve Jones, founding member and lead guitarist of the Sex Pistols, whose Jonesy's Jukebox plays on Indie 103.1 FM Monday through Friday from Noon to 2pm PST.

Figure out what time that is in your neck of the woods and listen to the man with the greatest taste and awesome interviewing technique streaming live here.